Round 2. After a first lifting marked by criticism and disappointment from the public about places deemed overpriced, this Wednesday seals the start of the second phase of ticket sales for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, this time at the unit and no longer in packs.
This new phase first includes a draw until April 20, then those selected will be able to choose places from May 11. “There are still opportunities, […] but it won’t be for everyone and I expect this second phase to continue to generate disappointments and frustrations. It’s inevitable, but it will once again make people happy and you have to try your luck, anticipates the boss of the organizing committee, says Cojo, Tony Estanguet. The former Olympic champion canoeist admits to being confronted with “issues that are difficult to reconcile, both to generate income […] and on the other to make sure it’s a popular party”. At the dawn of this second stage, here are five figures which illustrate the reality and the stakes of this extraordinary ticket office.
3 250 000
In total, 3.25 million tickets have already found takers at the end of the first sales phase, out of the 10.5 million tickets available (13.4 million if we include the Paralympic Games). In detail, nearly 400,000 (13%) were sold at 24 euros, 70% at less than 100 euros and 4.5% at more than 200 euros, specify the organizers. The second phase of ticket sales, this time individually, will begin from March 15, with a new draw. This time, 1.5 million tickets will go on sale.
690
It is, still in euros, the price of the most expensive tickets having found buyers during the launch of this first phase, on February 15. By paying such a sum, these “lucky ones” will be able, for example, to attend eliminatory events in athletics, but without being able to watch a final.
These prices, deemed prohibitive, have been the subject of criticism, shaking the objective of “popular games” displayed by the organizers. And force them to justify themselves: they recalled that a total of one million tickets at 24 euros would be offered to the public (including 300,000 during this second phase), and five million at 50 euros and less.
2 700
This is the price of the most expensive tickets that should be put on the circuit during this second phase. A painful cost if you want to attend the unprecedented opening ceremony on the banks of the Seine in the best conditions. For the competition aspect, the addition can climb very high on the biggest finals which go “come to the sale” in this second phase, promised Tony Estanguet. Concretely, the prices for the finals of certain sports will vary between 50 euros and 160 euros for the breaking finals for example, or between 95 and 980 euros for the basketball finals.
1.4 billion
This is, in billion euros, what ticketing revenue is supposed to bring in on an overall budget of 4.4 billion euros, ie one third of the budget of the Organizing Committee.
400 000
Not all tickets will be put on the market: of the total, only eight million are sold directly to the general public. The State will thus buy 400,000 tickets for “school”, of the “sports movement volunteers”, of the “people with disabilities” for an amount of 11 million euros.
A final part must be allocated to communities that have pre-ordered tickets at 24 euros. Thus the department of Seine-Saint-Denis placed an order for «40 000 billets», 16,000 for the Olympic Games and 24,000 for the Paralympic Games, for “the most vulnerable young people and public”. The city of Paris will also buy 43,000 tickets and then give them back. It will offer 50,000 more obtained through the endowment fund of the Organizing Committee. That is a total of 100,000 sesames.